Cooling apparatus with delayed operation blower means

ABSTRACT

A cooling apparatus for cooling the interior of a room, in which a blower is started for introducing air cooled by a cooling means into the room after the cooling means for cooling the air in the room is cooled below a predetermined temperature, so that the interior of the room is free from bad odour during starting period.

United States Patent Yamada et a1.

Oct. 2, 1973 COOLING APPARATUS WITII DELAYED OPERATION BLOWER MEANSInventors: Kaitti Yamada, Kusatsu; Yoshiyuki Morikawa, Otsu; HidenosukeMatsumoto, Kusatsu, all of Japan Assignee: Matsushita ElectricIndustrial Co.,

Ltd., Kadoma-shi, Osaka, Japan Filed: June 28, 1971 Appl. No.: 157,542

Foreign Application Priority Data June 30, 1970 Japan 45/57633 US. Cl.62/157, 62/180 Int. Cl. F25d 17/01) Field of Search 62/157, 158, 182,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,662,380 12/1953 Sutton62/155 2,713,249 7/1955 Schordinc.... 62/155 2,899,802 8/1959McMillan... 62/157 3,063,250 11/1962 Moorman 62/180 PrimaryExaminer-Meyer Perlin Att0rneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [57]ABSTRACT A cooling apparatus for cooling the interior of a room, inwhich a blower is started for introducing air cooled by a cooling meansinto the room after the cooling means for cooling the air in the room iscooled below a predetermined temperature, so that the interior of theroom is free from bad odour during starting period.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures COOLING APPARATUS WITH DELAYED OPERATIONBLOWER MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thepresent invention relates to a cooling apparatus for cooling interior ofa room such as a house, an automobile or other vehicles.

2. Description of the Prior Art In a conventional cooling apparatus, ithas been a common practice to start a blower for circulating air in aroom at the same time when a compressor is started for feeding coolingmedium to a cooling means, so that uncomfortable odour has often beenintroduced into the room during the starting period of the apparatus.The odour is mainly produced by nicotine, microorganism or zymogenicorganism existing on the surfaces of the cooling means and/or a drainpan and carried into the room by the action of the blower. When thecooling means and the drain pan is higher in temperature such as duringthe starting period, an intense and uncomfortable odour is produced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has an object to providea cooling apparatus in which a blower for introducing cooled air into aroom is started with a predetermined time delay after the starting ofmeans for feeding cooling medium into a cooling means, so thatuncomfortable odour is not introduced from the cooling means into theroom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a coolingapparatus in which a blower for introducing cooled air into the room isstarted after cooling medium feeding means is started and thetemperature of a cooling means is decreased below a predetermined value,so that uncomfortable odour is not introduced into the room.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coolingapparatus which comprises a thermostat for detecting a fact that, aftercooling medium feeding means such as a compressor or a pump is startedfor feeding cooling medium into a cooling means, the temperature of thecooling means is decreased below a predetermined temperature until dewis deposited on the cooling unit, and in which a blower for introducingthe air cooled by the cooling unit into a room is started in accordancewith the operaion of the thermostat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing pipe lineconnections for cooling medium and an electrical circuits used in acooling apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram similar to FIG. 1 but showing another embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram similar to FIG. 1 which contains a timer forstarting the blower, and

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 but also containing a timer for commencingoperation of the blower as shown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1, thereference numeral 1 designates a compressor driven by a motor 2. Thereference numeral 3 designates a condenser which is connected through aconduit 4 for cooling medium with the outlet side of the compressor 1,and 5 designates an expansion valve connected through a conduit 6 withthe condenser 3. It should of course be noted that a capillary tube maybe used in the place of the expansion valve 5. An evaporator 7 isconnected through a conduit 8 with the expansion valve 5 and through aconduit 9 with the inlet side of the compressor 1. The compressor motor2 is connected in series through a main switch 10 with a power source11. The numeral 12 designates a starting capacitor for the compressormotor 2. A blower 13 is provided opposite to the condenser 3 and theevaporator 7 so as to send the air cooled by the evaporator 7 into aroom to be cooled. The blower 13 is driven by a blower motor 14. In theillustrated embodiment, a second blower 15 is provided opposite to thecondenser 3 and driven by the blower motor 14.The blower 15 may ofcourse be driven by a separate motor. The blower motor 14 is connectedat one of the terminals through a main switch 10 with the power source11 and at the other of the terminals through a contact 17 of athermostat with the power source 1 l. The numeral 18 designates astarting capacitor for the blower motor 14. The thermostat 16 has aheat-sensing portion 19 arranged in heat exchange relation with theevaporator 7. The thermostat 16 is of such a type that closes thecontact 17 when the evaporator 7 is below a predetermined temperature.Thus, the thermostat 16 may be so adjusted that the contact 17 is closedwhen the temperature of the evaporator 7 is below the dew point.

In operation of the cooling unit, the main switch 10 is closed. Then,the compressor motor 2 is started so as to drive the compressor 1. Thus,the cooling medium is compressed by the compressor 1 and circulatedthrough the condenser 3, the expansion valve 5 and the evaporator 7. Inthe condenser 3, the medium is condensed to discharge heat and, in theevaporator 7, it is again evaporated taking heat therefrom. Thus, theevaporator 7 is gradually cooled down. For a certain period after thestart of the compressor 1 during which the surface temperature of theevaporator 7 is above a predetermined value, the contact 17 of thethermostat is kept open, so that the blower motor 14 does not operate.Thereafter, the compressor 1 is continued to operate until the surfacetemperature of the evaporator 7 is decreased to the predetermined value.This is detected by the heat sensing portion 19 of the thermostat 16.Thus, the contact 17 of the thermostat 16 is closed, so that the blowermotor 14 is started to rotate. Therefore, the blowers 13 and 15 aredriven to send air through the evaporator 7 and the condenser 3. Thus,the operation of the cooling apparatus is started.

When the blower motor 14 is started to rotate, dew is deposited on thesurface of the evaporator 7. In other words, the evaporator 7 is cooleddown below the dew point before the blower 13 is started to rotate, sothat there are many dewdrops on the surface of the evaporator 7. Sincethe dewdrops and the resulting water film are effective to solve andcover nicotine, microorganism or zymogenic organism existing on thesurface of the evaporator 7, the air which has passed through theevaporator 7 does not carry uncomfortable odour. In an application wherea drain pan is disposed in heat exchange relation with the evaporator 7,dew is also deposited on the drain pan. Thus, it is also effective toprevent uncomfortable odour from the drain pan. The dewdrops on theevaporator 7 gradually flow down onto the drain pan serving also toprevent odour from the drain pan. If the blower motor 14 is maintainedstationary even after dew is deposited. on the evaporator 7, it may bepossible frosted. Therefore, it is advisable to determine the settingtemperature of the thermostat 16 above the frosting temperature. Inother words, in an advisable arrangement, the contact 17 of thethermostat 16 is closed after dew is deposited on the evaporator 7 butbefore it is frosted, so as to operate the blower motor 14 and theblower 13 to send the air cooled by the evaporator 7 into the room to becooled.

Another embodiment of the present invention will now be described takingreference to FIG. 2. In this example, cooling brine such as water iscooled by a cooling unit 20 and fed by means of a pump 21 through avalve 22 into a cooling means 23 where it is brought into heat exchangerelation with room air sent by means of a blower 24. As in the exampleof FIG. 1, the blower 24 has a blower motor 25 which is controlled by athermostat 26 having a contact 27. In FIG. 2, the reference numeral 28designates an electric power source, 29 a heat sensing portion of thethermostat 26, 30 a starting capacitor for the blower motor 25, and 31 amain switch. In FIG. 2, when the brine is cooled sufficiently by thecooling unit 20, the supply of air by the blower 24 may be commencedafter passage of a certain period of time from the time when the valve22 is opened and the supply of brine to the cooling means 23 begins. Inthis case, it is of course essential that the pump 21 has already beenset in motion to supply the brine with pressure.

Alternatively, with the valve 22 being opened and the brine being cooledsufficiently by the cooling unit 20, the supply of air by the blower 24may be started after passage of a certain period of time from the startof supply of the brine to the cooling unit 23 by the pump 21. Thisarrangement is particularly advantageous for a central cooling system.In each of the aforementioned embodiments, the operation of the blowermotor 14 or 25 is delayed from the starting of the compressor 1, thepump 21 or the valve through the action of the thermostat 16 or 26,however, a time delay means such as a timer 32, as shown in FIG. 3, and33, as shown in FIG. 4. or time delay relay may be used in the place ofthe thermostat. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the thermostat l6, l7,18 in FIG. 1 is replaced, for example, by a timer 32. FIG. 4 shows anexample in which the thermostat 26, 27, 29 in FIG. 2 is replaced by atime delay relay 33. According to the inventors experiments, a timedelay of about 30 seconds can provide a satisfactory result. Thisdeodoring effect is particularly great in the case when the coolingappratus is used for coiling the passenger compartment of an automobilewhich accommodates a number of persons in a narrow space, unlike thecase of cooling a wide sapce by a room air conditioner, and it has beenconfirmed through the actual experiment that a time delay of about lseconds is sufficient to obtain a satisfactory result.

THE EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, ablower for sending cooled air into a room to be cooled is started afterthe start of a cooling medium feeding means for feeding cooling mediuminto a cooling means with a predetermined time delay. Therefore, whenthe cooling means is at a relatively high temperature, that is, whennicotine, microorganism or zymogenic organism is at a condition underwhich it is apt to produce uncomfortable odour, the blower does notoperate so that the odour is not introduced into the room. When thecooling means is cooled down until dew is deposited on its surface, thenicotine, microorganism or zymogenic organism is solved in the dew.Under this condition, the blower is started so that the cooled air isintroduced into the room without carrying the uncomfortable odour.

According to the present invention, since the blower is started afterthe cooling medium feeding means is started to operate and the coolingmeans is cooled below a predetermined temperature, the blower is alwaysoperated with dewdrops deposited on the cooling means. Therefore, thereis no possibility of uncomfortable odour introduced into the room.

In the cooling apparatus of the present invention, the blower isoperated after the cooling medium feeding means with a predeterminedtime delay through the action of the time delay means. This ensures thatthe blower is always started after dew is deposited on the coolingmeans.

Further, the feature of the present invention is applicable to any ofthe types in which a compressor, a brine feed pump or a valve in a brineconduit is used as cooling medium feeding means. Therefore, the presentinvention can be applied to any type of cooling apparatus such as acentral cooling system, a usual room air conditioner or auto airconditioner.

We claim:

,I. A cooling apparatus comprising cooling means adapted to be cooled bycooling medium, a pump for feeding cooling medium a blower forintroducing air cooled by the cooling means into a room and thermostatmeans for detecting the fact that the cooling means is cooled down belowa temperature at which dewdrops are formed on the surface of the coolingapparatus, under the ambient conditions in which said cooling apparatusis used after the pump is started so as to start the blower.

2. A cooling apparatus comprising cooling means adapted to be cooled bycooling medium,

a pump for feeding the cooling medium into said cooling means a blowerfor introducing air cooled by the cooling means into a room, and

electrical time delay circuit means for starting said blower with a timedelay up to the point when dewdrops are formed on the surface of thecooling apparatus under the ambient conditions in which the coolingapparatus is used after the pump is started.

1. A cooling apparatus comprising cooling means adapted to be cooled bycooling medium, a pump for feeding cooling medium a blower forintroducing air cooled by the cooling means into a room and thermostatmeans for detecting the fact that the cooling means is cooled down belowa temperature at which dewdrops are formed on the surface of the coolingapparatus, under the ambient conditions in which said cooling apparatusis used after the pump is started so as to start the blower.
 2. Acooling apparatus comprising cooling means adapted to be cooled bycooling medium, a pump for feeding the cooling medium into said coolingmeans a blower for introducing air cooled by the cooling means into aroom, and electrical time delay circuit means for starting said blowerwith a time delay up to the point when dewdrops are formed on thesurface of the cooling apparatus under the ambient conditions in whichthe cooling apparatus is used after the pump is started.